


Building Family

by hilariouslygrounded



Series: Building Family [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fix-It, M/M, sirius raises harry au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-01-07 04:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilariouslygrounded/pseuds/hilariouslygrounded
Summary: Instead of going after Peter, Sirius rescues Harry from the Dursleys' doorstep. But it's up to Remus to make sure nothing falls apart.





	1. Chapter 1

Remus Lupin had a secret. 

This was, strictly speaking, nothing new. He had had many secrets throughout his short life. But unlike being a werewolf, which often led to ostracism or unemployment, this secret had the potential to send him to prison for the rest of his life.

Hidden underneath the floor of his unassuming muggle flat was a panic room of sorts that he had created in the last stages of the war. It was about the size of a large closet, but it was stocked with emergency food and was so heavily warded that even Dumbledore might have trouble getting in. Which, at the moment, he was counting on. Inside that protected cupboard sat a grieving Sirius Black and little Harry, who they were definitely not supposed to have. 

Anxiety about his two stowaways ate at Remus throughout his shift at the muggle cafe. Would they still be there when he returned? Or would Dumbledore and the aurors have already taken Harry and arrested Sirius for kidnapping and-? He shook his head to stop that last unwanted thought. No one knows they're here, he reminded himself. The wards will protect them until I get back, and then we can work out a more permanent arrangement. 

Despite an inner mantra of “they're safe. They're fine,” Remus was nearly in tears by the time he clocked out. He forced himself to walk home at his usual pace to prevent suspicion. The five minute walk felt like an eternity. There was no sign, however, that anyone had forced entry to his flat. He raced to the bedroom and opened the door to his safe room. 

A big black dog lay curled around a sleeping one year old with messy black hair and brown skin. It looked up at Remus with an unreadable expression. Remus breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Hey Pads,” he breathed. The dog wagged his tail once in greeting and then put his head back down on his paws. At that moment, one of Remus's magical alarms went off and the doorbell rang. The dog's fur stood on end, but he couldn't move for fear of waking Harry. 

“Stay here, I'll deal with this,” Remus said. He closed the door on them and straightened up. “Coming!” he called toward whomever was at the door. 

Remus took a deep breath and tried to look casual as he opened the door to reveal Minerva McGonagall standing on the welcome mat. 

“Professor?” He blinked. 

“May I come in, Mr. Lupin? Even now that the war is over I think it unwise to linger in doorways. 

“Of, of course. Tea?” 

“Please.”

He led the way into his tiny kitchen and put on the kettle. McGonagall sat in unreadable silence while he made the tea. He wished there was a way to update Sirius without letting on. 

“Are you aware,” McGonagall began as she accepted a mug from Remus (milk, no sugar) “that Sirius Black is on the run?” 

Remus did his best to look shocked.

“Surely you, of all people, know he was James and Lily's secret keeper?” The names cut Remus like a serrated knife. McGonagall herself looked slightly shaken. How should he proceed? With the truth, or at least an old version of it.

“I wasn't told. They thought I was the spy, you see.” He put his head in his hands, as much to hide his face as to give in to grief for a moment. “Oh gods, it was him wasn't it?” 

“Indeed. Black told his master where… where the Potters lived. Last night, after he who must not be named fell, Black returned to their house. Hagrid saw him when he went to collect the boy, but he didn't realize what Black had done so he let him go. After Albus and I delivered the boy to his relatives, where we thought he would be safe, Black stole him from the doorstep.” Her voice wavered dangerously. 

“Why are you telling me this?” He kept his face in his hands, unsure whether his expression might give him away otherwise. 

“In case Black tries to use your old friendship to seek help. You haven't seen him, have you?” 

“I've been at work all day. I'd only just gotten home when you arrived.” He lifted his head and took a steadying gulp of tea. He must've looked pretty miserable because she put her hand on his shoulder. 

“We will catch him, don't worry Lupin.” 

“I don't doubt you, Professor.” 

McGonagall stood. “Thank you for the tea. I must be getting back. One more thing before I go. I see your flat is well warded, but you can never be too careful.” 

“I'll be sure to shore up my defenses,” he promised. She turned to go and something occurred to him. “Oh, Professor. Have you checked with Peter? They trusted him more than me, at... at the end.” 

“I'll look into it,” she said. 

As soon as she was gone, he returned to Sirius and Harry. Sirius was still in dog form, but Harry stared up at Remus with green eyes that reminded him so much of Lily's. 

“Sorry about this Harry, but Pads and I need to talk,” Remus said as he lifted the boy into his arms. Harry whimpered until he found a comfy position in Remus's arms. Remus carried him to the small, somewhat squashy couch where they were joined by a human-shaped Sirius. 

“How much of that did you hear?” 

“Pretty well all of it. They think... they think I… that I murdered-” Sirius's voice broke and he leant on Remus to cry. Unfortunately, this set off Harry, who wailed so loudly that Remus was glad for the silencing charms on the thin walls. He rocked Harry and let the two of them cry it out while squashing down his own tears. Someone had to hold it together while they figured out their next move. It was strange to have such close contact to Sirius. They had drifted apart over the last six months or so as James and Lily went into hiding.

After a few minutes it was quiet again. Harry drifted off to sleep, having tired himself out. 

“Sorry about that,” Sirius wiped his eyes. 

“S'okay Pads. You needed it.” 

“What are we going to do?” 

“Well you two can't stay in a glorified cupboard forever. I guess we'll have to find somewhere else to go. There's an abandoned cottage where I've been going for my transformations that wouldn't take much work to fix up.” 

“You can't just up and quit your job though, it'll look suspicious.” 

“I can apparate to work every day.” 

“What if someone comes looking for you here?” 

“I'll figure something out. Besides, it won't be forever. Either they'll decide I'm not in league with you or they'll catch Peter and then your name will be cleared.” 

“I guess it's our best shot. Let's get started.” Sirius jumped up from the couch and tottered. It looked to Remus as though he was on the verge of fainting. 

“When was the last time you ate?” Sirius looked guilty. “Take Harry and sit down. I'll go make us some dinner and then we can get started.” 

There wasn't much in the fridge, and Remus wasn't the best cook, so he set about heating a can of tomato soup and preparing grilled cheese sandwiches. It gave him time to clear his head, at least. He hoped they were doing what James and Lily would've wanted. 

They tried transfiguring the coffee table into a high chair for Harry, but he cried as soon as he was set down so they took turns feeding him in their laps while the other ate. Remus was exhausted, but he agreed to start work on the cottage as soon as they finished their somewhat disappointing meal.


	2. Two

The cottage was worse than Remus initially thought. He and Sirius spent until midnight just clearing out everything irreparable and securing all the windows and doors. It took them a very stressful four days, working only after Remus's shifts at the cafe, to make the place liveable. 

It was somewhat better after they'd moved into the cottage, but that brought whole new stresses with it. Remus had to apparate to his flat every morning, walk to work, and then wait in his flat until people would be unlikely to stop by to return to the cottage. 

While Remus was at work, Sirius spent each day further renovating the cottage and carrying for Harry. Remus remembered James and Lily's son as a quiet, easily amused baby, but it was clear that the loss of his parents had had a traumatic effect on Harry. He would cry every time he was set down and getting him to sleep was a nightmare. Sirius seemed dead on his feet every night when Remus came home. 

It had been just over a week since Sirius had turned up at Remus's door with Harry when there was finally some news. 

“You're not going to like this,” Remus said, handing a copy of the Daily Prophet to Sirius when he returned home that night. 

“Peter Pettigrew, former member of the Order of the Phoenix, missing. Death Eater Sirius Black primary suspect,” Sirius read aloud. “Shit.” 

“My sentiments exactly.” 

“That little rat! If I ever see him again I'm going to kill him for what he did to Lily and James!” Sirius roared, startling a miraculously sleeping Harry who began bawling. 

“Let me take him,” Remus offered. Sirius handed Harry over and read through the article while Remus tried to quiet the boy’s screams. Poor Harry was not adjusting well to life without his parents. Come to think of it, Remus had to admit he wasn't adjusting to life without them any better. All of them had joined up to fight Voldemort right out of Hogwarts, and despite all the deaths they witnessed, all the close calls, he never imagined James and Lily wouldn't be part of the peace they were all fighting for. 

“Moony, is this really the date?” Sirius was brandishing the paper at him, all traces of anger replaced with lines of worry that should not have existed on a face so young. Remus glanced at the date printed there: November 10th. 

“It would appear so,” Remus replied, trying to stifle his rising panic. 

“Then that means-”

“Full moon tomorrow. Yes.” He'd forgotten to keep track of the days in all the hubbub, and then assumed the reason he wasn't feeling well was the stress and grief. 

“How-?” Sirius gestured at Harry, who was asleep again.

“I'll have to go as far into the forest as possible and chain myself to a tree.” Remus couldn't meet Sirius's eyes. 

“Moony-” Sirius began. The note of concern in his voice was too much for Remus so he cut him off.

“I'll have to, Pads. I can't be near Harry during the change and we can't leave him alone.” 

“All right.” 

Remus looked up. Sirius's face was a mixture of worry, guilt, and something Remus couldn't place. 

Over the last few months, Remus had experienced the first few lonely transformations he'd had since his friends became animagi. Peter...no, Pettigrew, had driven a wedge between Remus and the others by suggesting he was the spy. James and Lily hadn't believed it, always so trusting, but when they went into hiding Remus lost all contact with them so he had no one to help him stay sane during his transformations. 

He had briefly found another werewolf he could trust, who was sympathetic to the order even if he wasn't part of it directly. For three short months Jason had been a wonderful distraction from the war and Remus's isolation from his friends. They met up at the cottage, which had belonged to an ancestor of Jason's, on full moons to transform together, but more importantly they spent a lot of their human-shaped time together too. 

Remus wasn't sure he'd been in love with Jason, and they had never really established exactly what to call whatever was going on between them. But when the death eaters murdered Jason, Remus had mourned him as though he had. 

He continued to use the cottage, though it pained him, because it was a relatively safe place to transform and he suspected Jason would have approved. Remus hoped Jason wouldn't mind the three of them making it into a home. Sirius hadn't asked him about how he came by the cottage, and Remus wasn't ready to share that information unless he had to. 

Remus hated the full moon. It turned him into a monster and the loss of control was terrifying. He was especially scared this time, because even several miles into the forest he felt far too close to Harry for comfort. 

But as he double checked the locks on the chains he used to lash himself to the biggest tree he could find, he had to admit that part of him relished the idea of giving up his carefully repressed grief, anger, stress, and less quantifiable feelings to his inner beast for a night. Perhaps it would do him good to release it all far from anyone who might judge him or need him to be the strong one. 

It was a hard transformation. When he woke the next morning, he knew it had been the worst he'd had in years. He barely had the strength to release himself from the chains before he collapsed onto the forest floor and passed out. 

He woke again some hours later, this time in a soft bed. His wounds were bandaged and a healing potion sat on the bedside table. When he sat up he noticed Padfoot snoozing on the floor with Harry. His head was splitting with a headache, so he drained the awful-tasting potion in one go and sank back into the pillows to let it do its work. 

By dinner that night, he was feeling well enough, at least physically, to sit at the small table. Emotionally, he felt drained. His night as a werewolf had allowed him to release all his unwanted emotions, true, but it hadn't given him the ability to cope with or confront them. 

“Maybe you should call in sick tomorrow,” Sirius suggested as he placed a steaming bowl of soup in front of him, balancing Harry in the crook of his left arm.

“Can't,” he rasped. “We need the money.” 

“If it weren't for that rat I'd have access to my vault and then you wouldn't have to bus tables at a muggle cafe to feed me.”

“If it weren't for him James and Lily would be here and then I wouldn't have to feed you.” Sirius looked as though Remus had slapped him. 

“Wait, Pads, I didn't mean it that way.” He reached out and caught Sirius's empty hand. What was he doing? They hadn't been on the best of terms toward the end of the war, what with people thinking Remus was a spy, and whatever unlabeled mutual feelings had been between them before that were gone, right? Remus had moved on, or at least he told himself he had, and surely Sirius had done the same. But Sirius didn't let go. 

“What did you mean, then?” Despite the continued pressure of his hand in Remus's, his face was inscrutable. 

“I don't know,” Remus admitted. “I'm scared Pads. Scared we’ll be found out and then they'll take you and Harry from me. Scared we won't be found out and then isolation will get to us and you'll start hating me-” 

“I could never hate you,” Sirius's voice was uncharacteristically soft. He leaned over Harry and their forgotten dinner and kissed Remus gently, just for a second before pulling away. Remus blinked. 

“Pads, I-” Before he could say anything, Harry began crying and Sirius had to busy himself with trying to feed him. Remus felt like his whole world, which had already shifted so much over the past two weeks, was in danger of tilting off its axis.


	3. Three

That night Harry had the temper tantrum to end all temper tantrums, which prevented any further conversation. It was nearly one in the morning when Remus was finally able to slip off to sleep, and the next morning at work his colleagues kept teasing him about his 'hangover’ because of the bags under his eyes.

To make matters worse, who should stroll into the cafe an hour before the end of his shift but Albus Dumbledore himself, wearing a purple three piece suit. He seated himself right in Remus's section, which meant there was no escaping him. The bastard.

“Hello Remus,” he said as Remus poured him coffee. “Bad full moon?” 

“The worst in a while,” Remus admitted. “Not to be rude, but why are you here?” 

“Can't a professor simply check in from time to time with his old students?” 

“We both know your motives are never simple, sir.” Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as though they were sharing a private joke. 

“I will forget your tone since you are clearly still grieving the loss of your closest friends. Now tell me, have you heard from either Black or young Peter?” 

And that's when Remus broke. He kept his head, but the desire to tell someone, anyone, got the better of him. So he told Dumbledore how the secret keeper had been switched without anyone's knowledge, and how Pettigrew had been the one to betray Lily and James, and how Sirius had come to him with Harry because he had nowhere else to go. He did not, however, reveal where Sirius and Harry were hidden. 

“This is grave news,” Dumbledore said when Remus had finished. “But I may be able to save Sirius from Azkaban in light of this evidence. Pettigrew will have to be found, of course.” 

“We're not giving up Harry,” Remus said defiantly. 

“No, what's done is done,” Dumbledore sighed. “I had hoped his aunt's blood might protect him, but any chance of that disappeared the moment Sirius took him. It is up to you to keep them both safe while we search for Pettigrew. Before he is found I cannot guarantee Sirius's safety from the ministry.” 

“I understand,” Remus said. 

But what he meant was thank you. Dumbledore could have easily taken Harry and turned both of them in, but instead he chose to trust two young men who had no idea what they were doing. Remus didn’t know what to make of it. He raced home after his shift, not even bothering to stop by the flat.

“I can’t believe you told him!” Sirius shouted. 

“I couldn’t help it! He already seemed to know!” Remus shouted back as Harry began wailing.

“That doesn’t mean you had to confess!” 

“Pads-” 

“Don’t even try Remus! You always were too much of a rule follower. I’m surprised you were ever able to keep a secret in your life! Why did you even wait so long to turn me in? It would’ve saved you a whole lot of trouble! I never should have trusted you!” 

Remus stomped over to the door and flung it open with a crash that sent a few splinters flying. “If you think you’re better off without me then why don’t you just go?” he screamed. Deep inside him the sensible voice he usually listened to was pleading with him not to be so stupid, but today it was drowned out by a wild voice that he usually associated with the full moon. 

“Guess I will, then!” Sirius scooped up the still-crying Harry and marched out into the woods. Remus slammed the door behind them and a few more splinters hit him in the face. 

He sat down on the couch and picked up a book. It was several minutes before he realized that A) he’d been staring at the same page the whole time B) the book was upside down and C) his throat hurt something awful, probably from all the yelling. He got up and poured himself a glass of water, draining it in one go. Remus felt guilty, but he reasoned that Sirius was equally at fault for actually leaving. 

He was pouring himself a second glass of water when he remembered Dumbledore’s warning that Remus was Sirius’s best chance of survival before Pettigrew could be found. Cursing himself for his stupidity, he launched himself out into the drizzle. He hoped Sirius hadn’t disapperated. 

“Padfoot! Sirius! I’m sorry! Come back!” he called, striding off in a random direction away from the cottage. “I know you’re angry with me, Pads, but Harry doesn’t deserve this!” Eventually, dripping equally from the rain and from sweat and on the verge of both tears and collapse, Remus gave up and trudged home. The door, which he definitely remembered closing when he left, was open.

Remus drew his wand and advanced slowly into the now-dark cottage. A light was on in the small room Sirius shared with Harry. His heart beat faster. 

“Explain yourself!” he cried as he leapt into the room. The intruder turned around with his arms up, dropping a little blue raincoat and revealing that Harry sat on the bed.

“Bloody hell Moony!” 

“Pads! What are you doing?” 

“I forgot Harry’s raincoat so I came back. What are you doing?” 

“I was sorry so I went to find you, to bring you back. When I finally gave up it looked like someone had broken in!” Remus was just self aware enough to recognize that he sounded on the verge of hysteria. He took a steadying breath. “Is Harry okay?” 

“I--Harry’s fine.” Sirius glanced at Harry, who for once wasn’t crying even though nobody was holding him. 

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you okay, Pads?” Remus wanted to close the distance between himself and Sirius and wrap his arms around him and tell him to never leave again, but he thought that might make the situation worse so he restrained himself. 

“I’ll be okay.” There was an awkward pause. “Did you really follow us?” 

“Once I realized how stupid I was being.” He looked at the floor. “I’m sorry Pads. For everything.” 

Suddenly Sirius was hugging him tighter than he’d ever been hugged before. He melted into the embrace, his previously unshed tears springing to the surface. 

“Jesus Moony, you’re soaked!” 

“It’s raining, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Remus half laugh, half sobbed.


	4. Four

Remus was much more careful over the next three weeks. If he saw anyone who even looked like they might be magical came into the cafe, he would go on break to avoid them. He received almost nightly updates of the search from Dumbledore via owl post at the flat, but there had been no sign of their former friend since the first. 

Sirius, meanwhile, busied himself by turning the cottage from an adequate living space into a home. Remus came home from work one day to see that the wallpaper had been charmed into Gryffindor colours and the kitchen had expanded to accommodate more than one adult at a time. 

A few nights before the full moon, Remus started thinking about what to do. He wasn’t sure he could go through another transformation like the last one. Harry had finally stopped screaming every time he was set down, but that didn’t mean they could, or wanted to, leave him alone overnight. 

“Well we can’t just go into town and hire some muggle teenager to babysit,” Remus said after Sirius asked if he wanted company. 

“Yes, but you clearly need me this time.” Sirius reached out and tenderly ran a finger along one of the scars on Remus’s cheek. It was one of the newer ones. Remus was pretty sure he’d gotten it during his last transformation before the end of the war. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Sirius was right. 

“I’ll owl Dumbledore tomorrow to see what he thinks.” 

In the end, Dumbledore sent McGonagall to watch Harry at the full moon. She looked unamused when they told her that Sirius was an unregistered animagus, and was clearly angry at Remus for lying to her about Sirius, but she trusted Dumbledore and so she agreed to spend the night with Harry at the flat since they still refused to tell anyone where the cottage was. 

Remus and Sirius fussed over Harry and had difficulty leaving him behind at the flat despite knowing he was in good hands. They took turns telling McGonagall how to hold him, about his bedtime routine, his favourite foods, and everything else that popped into their heads as they put off the inevitable moment when they would have to leave. Eventually, after a pointed glance at her watch, McGonagall practically shoved the two of them out the door. Although it caused him pain to do so, Remus took on his perpetual role as the sensible one and dragged Sirius away as Harry started crying from behind the closed door. 

It was a much better transformation this time. Remus wondered afterward if it was because he was starting to process some of the emotions that had been bottled up inside at the last full moon, or because Sirius was with him. It did them both good to explore the forest in their animal forms after living in such close quarters. They still hadn’t really worked out what was happening between them (taking care of Harry was a full time job on top of Remus’s actual job) and sometimes the cottage felt incredibly claustrophobic. 

Remus was glad, if unsurprised, to see that McGonagall had taken excellent care of Harry in their absence. She may not have approved of their clandestine arrangement, but apparently she approved of their parenting efforts because she consented to give Harry back. She even offered to come back at the next full moon, assuming Pettigrew hadn’t been caught yet, before making a hasty exit so she could get to her first class on time. 

They took Harry back to the cottage. Remus had the day off, since he always gave himself a recovery day after the full moon, so he spent the morning reading picture books to Harry. 

“What are you doing?” Remus glanced up from Where the Wild Things Are to see Sirius making a mess with evergreen branches indoors. 

“What does it look like I'm doing?”

“Making a mess.” Sirius stuck his tongue out at him. 

“It's almost Yule. I'm decorating.” 

Remus chuckled and shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me, Pads.” 

“You know you love it.” They made eye contact and Remus actually blushed. 

Harry babbled and thumped the book with one pudgy palm for attention. Remus ruffled his already messy hair and returned to the story. By the time Harry got bored with storytime, they had run out of picture books, Remus had almost run out of voice, and Sirius had turned the entire cottage into a green explosion. 

The more domestic their situation became, the harder it was for Remus to leave for work every morning. But they needed the money and Remus couldn’t just disappear into the woods without arousing suspicion from all sides. And, hard as it was to say goodbye to Harry and Sirius in the mornings, Remus knew he would go stir-crazy without the routine interaction with strangers his cafe job entailed. How Sirius managed it, he had no idea. Especially since he was the extroverted one. 

“Are we doing the right thing?” he asked the photo of James and Lily at their wedding that sat on the coffee table in the flat one night after work and before he returned to the cottage. They didn’t answer, since they were just images. Remus watched James pick Lily up and twirl her around. He smiled sadly. 

“I mean, it feels like the right thing when I get to go home to those two goofballs every night. And I imagine you’re happy that Harry is with us instead of with Petunia. But are we condemning him to a life in hiding? Sometimes I feel like I should be out there tracking Peter down and making him pay for what he did to you. And getting to live the life you should’ve had, watching him grow up the way you’ll never get to, makes me so incredibly guilty.” 

His watch beeped, interrupting his monologue. 

“Sorry, duty calls. Sirius’ll do something stupid if I’m not back soon,” he told the photograph. The two elegantly dressed images of his friends didn’t even stop dancing as he apparated back to the cottage.


	5. Five

The weather turned unseasonably cold just before the solstice. Remus noticed that the cafe saw an increase in traffic as people sought a hot drink and a place to escape the chill. Luckily, the one demographic the cold didn’t sweep into his path was wizards with awkward questions. 

“Maybe it's the war talking, but if it weren't for the snow I'd suspect an infestation of dementors was causing this chill,” Sirius complained on the morning of the 21st. Remus threw another log on the fire. 

“You could always turn into Padfoot if you're so cold,” he suggested. “A fur coat would protect you from,” he checked the thermometer on the window, “negative 10 degrees.” 

“But then I wouldn't get to enjoy the presents!” 

“Suit yourself.” 

They had a big holiday breakfast, which shut Sirius up for at least a little while. Harry had finally learned to sit in the high chair at meals, so he occupied himself with his bowl of mashed bananas while Remus and Sirius worked their way through pancakes, eggs, fried mushrooms, bacon, and hot chocolate that may or may not have been spiked with Irish cream. 

After breakfast they opened the small pile of presents stacked by the fireplace. Sirius and Remus took turns taking pictures of Harry delightedly ripping up the colourful paper with an old camera. Most of them were for him, including a tartan blanket from McGonagall. 

“This one's for you.” Remus handed Sirius a small box wrapped in red paper with a gold bow. He tore it open with as much enthusiasm as their young charge, revealing a pack of cards for exploding snap. 

“I know it's not much, but I wanted to give you a piece of the wizarding world to hold onto until we can clear your name.” 

“Moony you sop, it's perfect. Now come here so I can give you your present.” 

“Pads, what could you have possibly-” 

Sirius cut him off with a passionate kiss. It was the first time they'd kissed properly since the early days of the war, before James and Lily went into hiding. Remus slowly reacquainted himself with Sirius's lips. He wanted to stay in this moment forever. 

The sound of ripping paper and a scream of laughter from Harry brought them back to earth. Harry had decided to open his last present, a stuffed stag, while Remus and Sirius were otherwise occupied. They smiled at each other, and down at Harry, who was chewing on one of the stag’s antlers. 

The day grew colder as it wore on, but Remus was happy because it meant he had an excuse to sit with Sirius cuddled up next to him under a blanket by the fire. That evening they watched some muggle Christmas cartoons on the small television, which amused Sirius to no end. Harry hadn't quite gotten a hang of speech yet, but he babbled along to the songs regardless. It was comforting to enjoy Yule together as a little family, and Remus could almost ignore how sad he was that James and Lily weren't there. 

“D'you think they'll catch him soon?” Sirius wondered aloud. It was obvious who he was talking about.

“I hope so. It scares me to think he's still out there.” 

“It pisses me off. That rat is running free while I'm stuck hiding for my life.” 

Remus squeezed Sirius's hand. After a minute he worked up the courage to ask the question that'd been gnawing at him. 

“What happens when they catch him?” 

“I'll be free, I expect. Hopefully I'll be able to adopt Harry.” 

“But what happens to this?” he gestured at their entwined hands. “When you're free you won't need me anymore.” 

Sirius looked at him as though he was seeing him properly for the first time. 

“Remus Lupin, I will always need you. Did you really think this was a matter of convenience? Or that I was just reacting to being cooped up in this cottage? I love you, Moony. I have since about 5th year.” 

Before Remus could do more than blush, Sirius pulled him into another earth-shattering kiss. It was rougher than the previous one, almost as if Sirius was trying to suck all of the insecurities out of him. Remus tried to squash the twinges of guilt that were threatening to mar his happiness. 

They put Harry to bed shortly after. Remus made sure the boy had plenty of blankets because the temperature was still dropping outside. The new blanket from McGonagall lay on top of bundle that was more fabric than toddler. He also charmed the little mobile above the crib to play wordless lullabies to distract Harry from the howling wind. Sirius tucked the little stag in beside Harry and they left to let him fall asleep. 

“What are we calling this?” Sirius asked, taking Remus’s hand. They sat on the edge of Remus's bed, where they would hear immediately if Harry woke up. 

“I'm not sure. We never labeled it before.” 

“I know, but this time we're raising a kid together. Feels like there should be an official name.” 

“Well boyfriend sounds so immature-”

“Yeah.” He thought for a moment. “What about lover?” 

Remus considered this. “Not sure I want outsiders to know that much about our sex life, to be honest. Not that we've-” Sirius cut him off with a quick kiss. 

“Don't overthink it,” he laughed. 

“Partner?” 

“That sounds so grown up,” Sirius wrinkled his nose. 

“We are grown up. And besides, we're partners in raising Harry, right? So it's got a double meaning.” 

“Why do you always have to make so much sense?” 

“You know you love it.” 

“Partners it is.” 

Remus grinned in triumph and leaned in for yet another kiss. He felt like a teenager again.


	6. Six

Three full moons later, not much about their situation had outwardly changed. The wizarding world was growing used to peacetime, though the occasional arrests were reminders that the war was barely over. The Ministry was still looking for Sirius and was still leaning on The Prophet to not report that he'd absconded with the all important boy who lived. Peter was still at large, despite Dumbledore's best efforts. 

All in all, the biggest changes were that Harry now had a room to himself, while Remus and Sirius shared the other, and that his first words were “Pads”, “Moony”, and “up”. He was particularly fond of the latter, because although he now consented to toddle around the cottage on his own two feet he still preferred to be carried by Sirius or Remus whenever possible. 

Remus had finally gotten used to the routine of being in hiding when Dumbledore visited again, this time at the flat instead of the cafe. 

“I hope you have good news,” Remus said by way of greeting as he let the old man into the disused flat. 

“Good is a stretch.” Remus's throat went dry. “Arabella Figg reports that one of her marvelous cats chased a rat off her property last night. Two hours later Petunia Dursley and her family were attacked.” 

Remus put his hand over his mouth. “Are they-?” 

“Luckily Mrs. Figg was able to contact another Order member just as the screams began. Alastor Moody arrived on the scene in time to scare off the attacker, though he did not see who it was. The Dursley family were taken to St. Mungo’s. At present, neither Petunia nor her husband appear to be capable of naming or describing their attacker It is unclear whether that is because of the attack or because they are unwilling to speak to wizards.” 

Remus sighed in relief. “Well, I have no love for Lily's sister but I'm glad they're not dead.”

“Unfortunately, it looks as though the Ministry will not be able to keep The Prophet from reporting that Lily Potter’s sister was attacked, nor that it was likely motivated by a desire to find her missing nephew.” 

“You're not taking Harry from us. You promised.” 

“My dear boy, I did not come to take Harry away now, just as I did not take him away in November. I merely came to tell you that I am putting the Order on high alert. Pettigrew has proved he is willing to torture, possibly kill, to find where you have hidden James’ son. And, though it may cause you pain to hear it, I am requesting that a fidelius charm be cast on your safe house.” 

“Fat lot of good that did us last time.” 

Dumbledore's eyes flashed, but when he spoke his tone was as serene as ever. “It is merely a precaution. I myself will act as-”

“McGonagall. I want Professor McGonagall to be our secret keeper if we must have one. She already babysits Harry on full moons so it makes sense for her to be the only one who knows.” 

“As you wish. We will meet you and Sirius here tomorrow after your shift to perform the charm.” 

Sirius wasn't happy to hear that once again Remus had made plans with Dumbledore without involving him, but he did agree that, if they had to have a secret keeper, McGonagall was the best choice. They performed the charm the next evening, but Remus felt as though not much had changed when they returned to the cottage. He, Sirius, and Harry were still couped up in a small house in the lonely woods while Pettigrew remained in the outside world. 

Not that he minded having his little family to himself. Remus had always been a private man, a habit borne of necessity, and Sirius exactly the opposite. Although Remus was not ashamed by any stretch of the imagination that he was in love with another man, it didn't strike him as anyone else’s business that he and Sirius were sleeping together. 

More importantly, Remus didn't want Harry to grow up in the spotlight. Careful attention to his co-workers’ conversations about muggle pop culture had taught him that child celebrities rarely made it to adulthood without some level of trauma. He wanted Harry to have the most normal childhood possible under the circumstances. 

Once Harry began speaking, he was off like a shot. By April, he was speaking in simple sentences despite being essentially nonverbal until well past the point when most babies start talking. Every night when he came home from work, Remus would ask Harry about his day and the ensuing description of Sirius and Harry's daily exploits would fill up the time before Sirius served dinner. 

“Me an’ Pads find wake!” Harry declared on a May evening before Remus even had time to take his shoes off. 

“You found a what?” 

“A wake!” 

“A lake,” Sirius clarified as he stirred something on the stove. “Lake, Harry. L-ake.” 

“Wake!” Harry giggled. Remus ruffled his hair. 

“Where was the lake?” 

“We go by deer trees! Then Pads faw down hiww an’ get wet!” Remus looked sharply at Sirius, who sure enough had a scratched cheek. 

“Harry, can you draw me a picture of the deer trees and the lake?” 

“Okay!” Harry toddled off to his crayons and paper. 

“How did you fall?” Remus asked Sirius as he inspected the shallow cut. 

“I was goofing off for Harry and I tripped over a rock. It's nothing, really.” 

“Episkey.” Remus healed the cut for Sirius, then gently kissed the new skin where it had been. Sirius tolerated being his patient for about 30 seconds before he suddenly turned his head so that their lips met. Remus pressed Sirius up against the kitchen cabinets and deepened the kiss, making Sirius drop the wooden spoon he was holding. Remus didn't even care that Harry was in the next room. He wanted Sirius and he wanted him now. 

The sudden smell of smoke stopped their moment before Remus could do anything stupid, however.

“Oh bugger,” Sirius cursed as he glanced at the stove. “I've burnt the bacon.”


	7. Seven

It wasn't until just after Harry's second birthday that Remus realized how much he had grown in such a short time. And he'd keep growing, if Remus and Sirius had any say in the matter. In a few short years Harry would start at a muggle primary school, and not long after that he’d be off to Hogwarts. 

“What would you say,” Remus ventured one night, “if I said I wanted to become a teacher?” Sirius rolled over to give him a quizzical look. 

“I can't come with you to Hogwarts so on principle I'd have to say it's much better to stay here with me.” He kissed Remus as if to prove his point. 

Remus laughed. “No, not at Hogwarts. I thought, since Harry's starting primary school in a few years, I might look into being a muggle teacher.” 

“Don't you need a degree to do that?” 

“Yes. McGonagall has contacts at a muggle university and she said I could start in the fall term if I hurry. I'd be done by the time Harry's five.” 

“As long as I get to keep sharing my bed with you I'd support any of your schemes.” 

Remus entered university that fall to get his degree in teaching. Although at twenty two he was only a few years older than most of his classmates, he felt ancient sitting next to all those idealistic children. 

“They're the same age we were when we started fighting Voldemort,” Sirius reasoned when Remus expressed his thoughts out loud while hunched over his homework one night. 

“Exactly! We were children! We should've been partying and procrastinating term papers and working entry level jobs not putting our lives on the line!” 

Sirius put his hands on Remus's shoulders. “I know, love. But that's why we were fighting, so that other kids won't have to. So Harry won't have to.” 

Remus leaned back so that his head was resting against Sirius's stomach and closed his eyes. “You're right, Pads. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed.” He felt Sirius kiss the top of his head. 

“We all do.” 

They stayed like that for a long moment, but eventually Sirius had to go see why Harry was crying and Remus reluctantly returned to his studying. When Sirius returned, he picked up a parenting book McGonagall had lent him and sat down at the far end of the table as though he was determined not to distract Remus again. Sometimes Remus felt as though Sirius cared more about his grades than he did. It was quite a reversal from their Hogwarts days.

The daily reports on the Pettigrew situation had slowed to weekly, and then bi-weekly, reports as time stretched on. This was in part due to security, as people might wonder why Remus was getting so much owl post. Remus was glad, because a full course load combined with a full time job and co-parenting Harry was taking its toll, though he wished there would be good news soon. 

A month into the semester, Dumbledore reported that Vernon Dursley had recovered but refused to cooperate with the aurors. He had also apparently been bullying Petunia into noncompliance as well. As such, he had his memory modified and the Ministry had him resettled somewhere far from his old life on Privet Drive. 

Petunia and her son, meanwhile, had been moved into long-term care in the form of a squib's cottage in rural Scotland. He was a psychologist who saw both muggle and magical patients, and the healers hoped that his influence might be more conducive to recovery than a strictly magical environment. They were to receive frequent checkups from healers, and hopefully soon one of them might be well enough to give some information that might lead to finding their attacker. 

“Do you think it’ll work?” Sirius asked Remus over dinner. “Will she talk now?”

Remus shrugged. “I never met Petunia, but from how Lily used to describe her she’s a very stubborn person. But she’s also very selfish and will do whatever she deems necessary to protect what’s hers. She’d do well in Slytherin. So I guess it could go either way. Petunia might refuse to cooperate on principle-”

“-or she might tell the aurors everything she knows if she thinks it’ll keep her and her son safe,” Sirius finished for him. “Well, for our sakes I hope it’s the latter.” 

“Me too.”


	8. Eight

Although Sirius would never admit it, Remus could tell he was going stir crazy. Almost every night when he returned from class or work, the cottage would be redecorated. Sirius and Harry's expeditions into the surrounding forest grew increasingly far out, which worried Remus since the protections of the fidelius charm only stretched so far beyond the walls of their little home. He also noticed that he and Sirius fought about little things on a more frequent basis. 

“I hate this cottage!” Sirius cried out in frustration one night as he stubbed his toe on the same doorway for the upteenth time. “It's too small.” 

“Sorry I couldn't find you a mansion,” Remus said sardonically without looking up from his childhood psychology textbook.

“How did you find this place, anyway?” 

Remus marked his page and set down the book before answering. He forced himself to meet Sirius's eyes. 

“Someone left it to me,” he said softly. 

“Who? Can't be your parents or you would've told us about it when they died.” 

“No, not a family member. His… his name was Jason. He was another werewolf. We came here to transform a few times, when none of you were speaking to me, and until he… until I lost him.” 

Sirius's face was sympathetic, but his eyes held storm clouds of hurt and anger. 

“You were lovers?” he asked flatly. 

Remus nodded miserably. Sirius's face crumpled. 

“All that time I spent hating myself because I wanted to talk to you, to tell you where James and Lily went, and knowing it was causing you pain because I couldn't, and you fucking moved on?” 

“Pads, I-” 

“I don't want to hear your excuses!” he growled. “We never ended, in my head. Sometimes I cried myself to sleep at night because I wanted to hold you so bad, but you weren't there and I knew it was because of me. And then the war ended, and I thought we could go back to how we had been, but you were so awkward about it at first and I thought it must be because I'd hurt you. Now I see it was because you loved someone else!” 

“You don't know what it was like!” Remus screamed back. “All my friends, suddenly cut off from me all at once! And the worst part was I thought the man I loved was responsible for my pain. I was in bad shape til Jason came. He gave me hope again. Sometimes I wonder if he even might be the reason I'm still alive! And the worst part? I felt so guilty every minute I spent with him, cause I knew, deep down, that I was still in love with you.” 

Somewhere, below his rage and pain, Remus could hear Harry crying as if from a great distance away. He knew the shouting must have set him off, but he lied to himself that he didn't care. 

“When Jason was murdered, I felt like I was getting what I deserved for betraying you. Even though, for all I knew, you had already moved on. You always were so good at finding lovers.” 

Sirius looked murderous. Instead of answering, he went to tend to Harry. Remus felt awful. He knew he had hurt Sirius, especially since he'd kept this to himself for so long. At first, he’d been too grief-stricken to bear bringing it up himself, and then later the subject never really presented itself. 

He was awake most of the night crying alone in their bed. Sirius slept, or at least Remus assumed he slept, in Harry's room. Remus poured out his remaining bottled up grief for Jason, his anger at Sirius, and his anger at himself. It was hard to sleep, even after he'd cried himself out. He had grown used to sleeping next to Sirius and his absence stung. 

“I'm sorry,” Remus said when he stumbled into the kitchen the next morning. “I should have told you sooner.” 

Sirius handed him a plate of pancakes. 

“I'm sorry, too, Moony. It was selfish of me to think you would be there waiting for me as though nothing had changed after I'd ignored you for six months.” 

They ate their breakfast in silence. Remus wanted to hold Sirius, to initiate some kind of physical contact and feel comforted, but he knew Sirius needed his space after fights like this. They would recover, but it would take time.

“Is the honeymoon period over?” Remus asked the on-campus therapist. After a few awkward days he finally forced himself to make an appointment.

“From what you've told me, it sounds like you're both under considerable stress. Try to make time for a bit of self care, even if it's just an extra five minutes in the shower or cooking your favourite meal once in awhile. And try to find some time to take care of your partner, too. It can be as small as an extra compliment here and there, or as big as taking a half day from school or work to have some time as a couple.” 

Remus said he’d think about it and left for class. When he got home that night, the cottage was filled with the stench of burning dinner and Harry yelling. Sirius shot Remus a look that was half overwhelmed and half panicked. 

“Let me take Harry,” Remus scooped the squirming two year old out of Sirius's arms so Sirius could turn his attention to the stove. “What's up little one?” He bounced Harry slightly as he walked into the living room. 

“No want peas!” Harry whined. His little face was flushed. 

“I get it, buddy. I don't like peas either. But veggies are good for us so we all have to eat them sometimes.” 

“No. Peas.” Harry was adamant, though Remus's tone had calmed him slightly.

“Is there another veggie you want instead?” 

He could see the wheels turning in Harry's brain. 

“No peas?” 

“Alright, no peas. But you have to pick a different vegetable.” 

“Carrots!” Harry grinned. 

“Carrots it is.” He boosted Harry back onto his hip and carried him over to watch Sirius cook. “Hey Pads, can we do carrots instead?” 

“If it'll please his highness.” Sirius grabbed his wand and waved it at the peas, which transformed into carrots. 

Harry clapped his pudgy little hands together and chanted, “Carrots, carrots, carrots!” 

“Carrots indeed,” Remus ruffled the kid's hair. He bounced Harry on his lap as he worked on some readings until Sirius served dinner. 

Harry managed to get mashed carrots in his hair during the meal, so Remus abandoned his revision in order to give him a bath after dinner. Sirius sat on the edge of the tub and laughed when Harry splashed Remus, who then splashed Sirius in retaliation. All three of them, and the floor, were soaked by the time the bath was over. 

“Let's have an early night,” Remus said as they put Harry to bed. 

“Don't you have homework?” 

“Just revision, but my eyes glaze over every time I look at my notes.” He put his arm around Sirius's waist. “Unless you'd rather not?” 

Sirius melted. “What happened to the nerdy boy I shared a dormitory with?” 

“You're a bad influence.” 

Sirius grinned wickedly and led the way to their room. 

“It's been almost a year,” Sirius murmured into Remus's collar bone as they cuddled under the tangled blankets sometime later. 

“Since what?” 

“Since Ja- since they- since Halloween.” 

“Oh. So it has.” 

“We should do something, right?” 

“Like what? It's not like I can take the missing Harry Potter and a fugitive to their graveside.” Remus felt tears welling up in his eyes. 

“No, but you could take Padfoot. I need to see it Moony. I wasn't there for them that night.” 

“What about Harry? Even if we disguised him someone might wonder where I got a two year old.” 

“Could McGonagall watch him? I think she would understand that we need this.” 

“I guess there's no harm in asking.” He kissed the top of Sirius's head and then gave in to sleep. 

So Remus found himself skipping class to visit Godric's Hollow for the first time in about two years. At first he wondered how he and Padfoot would find James and Lily among the other tombstones, but they arrived he noticed a rather large knot of mourners assembled a few rows back. 

As Padfoot, Sirius pushed through the group and sat directly in front of the headstone. Remus apologized as he followed him to the front of the group. Behind the mountain of flowers he could make out their names and the epitaph “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”. 

It hit him then, the way it hadn't that whole year. Sure he and Sirius were raising their kid, but now more than ever he knew that James and Lily Potter were gone. Hot tears glazed his vision and Padfoot pressed against his leg. 

“We’ll find him,” Remus promised the headstone. 

Then he turned and strode away, ignoring the concerned looks from the other mourners. Padfoot raced after him. They apparated back to the cottage from a safe distance. As soon as they were inside Sirius shifted back to human form and flung his arms around Remus. They collapsed onto the couch, holding each other and sobbing. 

“I'm sorry for making you do that,” Sirius hiccuped. 

“I needed to do it.” Remus dried his face and shifted into a more comfortable position. “I owed it to them. I wish it could've been more private though.” 

“They're martyrs. They don't get privacy anymore. Gods, I need a drink.” 

Sirius extracted himself from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. He came back carrying two goblets of mead and offered one to Remus. They drank in silence for awhile. 

Remus reflected that it was nice to be just the two of them, both human shaped, for once, but it pained him that it came at such a high price. He set down his empty goblet and looked Sirius in the eye. 

“What are we going to do without them Pads?” 

“The best we can, I guess.” Remus leaned in and kissed Sirius gently. Sirius returned the kiss with a fierceness he wasn't expecting. He wasn't sure if it was the mead, since it has been months since he'd had a drink, but Remus felt a bit giddy. 

“When are we getting Harry back again?” 

“McGonagall is bringing him round in the morning.” 

“Excellent.” Remus kissed Sirius's neck and pushed him onto the couch.


	9. Nine

Remus returned home after his last first year exam to find McGonagall standing in the cottage kitchen. She held Harry while Sirius stirred something on the stove. 

“Hello Professor, to what do we owe the pleasure?” 

“Petunia talked,” Sirius barked. 

Remus gaped at him. “What did she say?” 

“She gave a description of the man who attacked them. It was, as we suspected, Pettigrew. Albus is speaking to the head of magical law enforcement now about exonerating Sirius as we speak. There will, however, be conditions.” 

“I'll have to register as an animagus,” Sirius cut in. “Probably pay a hefty fine too.” 

“It is no more than you deserve,” McGonagall sniffed. She glanced at her watch. “We are to meet Albus at your flat at 6. We may as well leave now, it will give the boy time to calm down after the side-along apparition.”   
Sirius turned off the stove and began ruefully scraping what appeared to be chicken stir fry into tupperware. From his conflicted body language, Remus could tell he was both excited at the prospect of action after so long and annoyed that the meal he had just cooked would go cold. 

Harry was, as always, a bit fussy after they apparated him to the flat. Remus calmed him with a cookie just in time to see McGonagall let Dumbledore and a severe looking wizard into the living room. Dumbledore looked serene as always, while the other man failed to hide an involuntary shiver when he caught sight of Sirius. He recovered by jumping to shake Sirius's hand a little too cheerfully. 

“Ah, young Sirius. It has been a while,” Dumbledore smiled. “Hello Minerva. Remus. I see Harry is growing well. May I introduce Barty Crouch, head of the department of magical law enforcement?” 

“Hello,” Sirius and Remus chorused warily. Crouch inclined his head in acknowledgement. 

“Say hello Harry,” Remus whispered in Harry's ear. Instead, Harry buried his face in Remus's shirt. 

“May we have some tea?” Dumbledore inquired. 

“I'll get it,” Remus volunteered. He passed Harry to Sirius. 

Making a pot of tea gave Remus an excuse to avoid the awkward start to what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation. He said a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening that they would be able to keep Harry. 

Remus carried the tray of tea and biscuits into the crowded living room. 

“The boy has lived with them for over a year,” McGonagall was saying. Were they going to take Harry? He sat down next to Sirius and Harry climbed into his lap. Remus automatically began bouncing him on his knee. 

“Imagine how it would look if we allowed Harry Potter to be raised by the man who kidnapped him, who was until recently the primary suspect for selling out his parents to you-know-who, and a werewolf!” Crouch snapped. “Not to mention the need for maternal influence.”

Remus felt Sirius shift his weight as if to rise so he grabbed his arm to keep him on the couch. “Mr. Crouch, Sirius is Harry's godfather. He has every legal right to raise Harry. I understand if you want to remove me from the household, but don't take him away from Sirius.” 

“Remus no!” Sirius protested. He turned to face Crouch. “You big-”

“Barty, might I remind you that Mr. Lupin only transforms at the full moon? He is always quite careful to ensure that the boy is far away and well protected during that time,” Dumbledore interjected before Sirius could finish calling Crouch a bigot.

“I watch Harry myself,” McGonagall added. “And might I say that these two have done a remarkable job of raising him so far. You almost wouldn't know he'd lost his parents based on his current development. It would be cruel in the extreme to tear him from their arms now!” 

Crouch looked murderous. “I will allow a trial period of two months. At that time the boy will be examined by St. Mungo's best child specialists, and if they are satisfied with his care then we will consider a more permanent situation.” He stood and strode to the door. “And Dumbledore, expect an owl from me this evening. Good day to you all.” 

Sirius squeezed Remus's hand. “Hear that Harry? You get to stay with us!” Harry giggled. He seemed more at ease now that Crouch was gone. 

“May I see him?” Remus reluctantly passed Harry to Dumbledore. The boy smiled shyly up at the old wizard. It was strange to see the headmaster holding a toddler. 

“How old are you, Harry?” 

“This many!” Harry held up two fingers. Dumbledore chuckled.

“And who are they?” he pointed at Remus and Sirius.

“Pads and Moony!” 

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at the two of them. 

“Our nicknames at school were Padfoot and Moony,” Remus explained. “James was Prongs, since was a stag, and Peter…” 

“That rat was Wormtail,” Sirius growled. Dumbledore nodded. 

“I have urgent business to attend to. Thank you for the tea.” He handed Harry to Sirius and took leave of them. 

“Congratulations,” McGonagall said. “Enjoy your freedom, but remember that Pettigrew is still out there. I suggest you take Harry only into the muggle world for the time being. Oh, and Sirius, I wouldn't recommend venturing into the wizarding world until it's been announced that you're not a death eater.” Then she too left and they were finally alone. 

“Where do you want to go first?” Remus asked. 

“Ice cream!” Sirius grinned like a small child. 

“Sometimes I feel like I'm raising two kids,” Remus laughed.


	10. Ten

“The Boy Who Lived Found At Last, Living With Undisclosed Guardians,” Sirius read aloud from the front page of The Daily Prophet. “Oh gods it's by Skeeter. This’ll be good.” He wrenched open the paper to chase down the article. Remus looked up from his cocoa and a smaller headline below the fold caught his eye. 

“‘Black Cleared By Ministry, Pettigrew Behind Attack on Potter's Muggle Relations.’ I want to read this one when you're done, Pads.” 

“Could've read it before bringing it home,” Sirius grumbled. Remus stuck his tongue out at him. “Hey now, set a good example for my ward.” 

“Your ward?” 

“Isn't that what 'undisclosed guardians’ call their kids?” 

“In muggle novels from the nineteenth century, maybe. Plus Harry's in bed so it doesn't matter.” 

“It's the thought that counts,” Sirius pouted. 

They decided it was best to wait a week or so before Sirius made an appearance to give the news of his innocence time to spread. Remus could tell the anticipation was tearing him apart because he was so jittery it was hard to sleep in the same bed as him. It was Remus's summer holidays, so he had slightly more time on his hands and he used it to try distracting Sirius with multiple trips to the local muggle village. Harry loved it, and Sirius was overjoyed to watch his godson explore the outside world for the first time. But Remus could still see the longing for contact with wizards in his eyes. 

Although Remus wanted Sirius to take it slow at first to avoid trouble, they did finally conclude that he had to go to Diagon Alley even though it was less than ideal. Remus couldn't go with him, since someone had to watch Harry, and he was terrified something would happen. 

“Please be careful,” he fussed, trying to help Sirius adjust his cloak. 

“I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself for an afternoon.” Sirius swatted his hands away playfully and then pulled Remus into a goodbye kiss that lasted quite a bit longer than intended. 

“Don't forget to enjoy yourself.” 

“I won't. Try not to worry too much, it'll only be a couple hours.” 

“Have fun Pads!” Harry raced into the room and hugged Sirius's legs. Sirius chuckled. 

“C'mon you, let's let Pads leave and then we can read that book together.” Remus picked Harry up. Sirius smiled and went out the door so he could apparate from outside the wards. 

Remus did his best to keep busy over the next few hours. He and Harry read several picture books, then he brewed some tea and watched Harry colour. Then it was Harry's nap time, which meant Remus was essentially alone with his thoughts. He tried not to think of Sirius being attacked by death eaters or some misguided soul who still thought he'd caused the Potters’ death, or being suffocated in a mob of people who were desperately sorry for thinking he was a death eater. 

“Get ahold of yourself, Remus. Sirius is a grown man he'll be okay,” he said out loud. 

He decided the best distraction was cleaning. He reorganized the bookshelves alphabetically by author. Then he cleared away all the dishes scattered around the cottage. Finally he scrubbed the kitchen the muggle way purely because it would take longer. It had been four hours by this point. Remus tried to bury the voice in the back of his head that said four hours was hardly “a couple.” Sirius was probably having fun, not dead in a ditch somewhere. 

The door banged open and Remus snatched up his wand, ready to defend Harry from the intruder. But it was only Sirius weighed down with several shopping bags. Remus tried to walk, not run, over to Sirius, but by the time the shopping had been set down he was kissing Sirius silly. 

“So I'm guessing you didn't worry too much?” Sirius laughed when they came up for air. 

“Maybe a bit.” 

“Missed you too.” Sirius kissed his forehead. “Wanna see what I bought?” 

It turned out that most of what Sirius had bought was wizard candy he'd missed during his confinement. A lot of the rest were books, though there was a significant amount of toys for Harry, too. Sirius refused to open the last bag. He whispered in Remus's ear that they'd open it that evening once Harry was in bed, which made Remus blush furiously. 

“So how was Diagon Alley?” Remus hadn't been since the late days of the war. 

“Bit different. Fewer people trying to sell dodgy charms against dark magic, for one. Oh, and Florean Fortescue's got three new flavours.” 

“Did you attract a lot of attention?” 

“Some. Mostly people avoided me, either cause they don't believe I'm innocent or because they wanted me to have my space. Saw Hagrid and he nearly caused a scene, got a drink with him just to stop him apologizing so much. Oh, and some girls who looked about sixteen asked for my autograph. Seemed to think I'm something of a tragic hero.” 

“What did you say?”

“Turned them down, of course. My ego isn't that inflated.” Remus laughed. He heard the patter of little feet and Harry burst into the living room. 

“Pads is back!” the boy grinned. 

“Hey kiddo! Did you have a good day with Moony?” 

“I coloured a dinosaur!” 

“Wow, really? Can I see it?” 

Harry nodded and retrieved the picture from his room. Sirius oohed and ahhed over the bright pink T-Rex as though it belonged in a museum. Remus watched the two of them with a growing sense of contentment. He loved them both so much. How could he have even thought about letting Crouch separate him from his family?

“Remus, look at this!” 

The dinosaur was flashing different colours, which made Harry giggle. The louder he giggled, the faster the colours changed. 

“What charm is that?” Remus asked.

“It's not me!” Sirius exclaimed. “I think it's Harry. He's using magic!” 

Remus gasped. It was the first sign that Harry had inherited magic from his parents. “We’ll have to owl McGonagall to tell her the good news.” 

“We have to celebrate first!” 

Their celebration feast consisted of Harry's favourite foods: pizza, chips, chocolate milk, and ice cream. Remus felt borderline catatonic after all that junk food, but Sirius followed it up by introducing Harry to some wizard candy. Harry especially loved the chocolate frogs. By bedtime his face and hands were smeared with melted chocolate. 

“How old were you when you first showed sign of magic?” Remus asked Sirius they lay in bed some hours later. 

“Nine. Dear old mum had been ready to disown me for being a squib until I turned the house elf orange. Proudest she ever was of me. You?” 

“Seven. I didn't want to eat my peas so I turned them into chocolates.” 

“I'd say our lives are going to be even more interesting from now on.”


	11. Eleven

The two months grace period flew by. Remus was enjoying a lazy mid-August day of watching Sirius push Harry on the swings at a muggle playground when he glanced at the date on his watch and nearly choked. He didn’t want to ruin their fun, however, so he waited until Sirius came over to steal his lemonade to mention anything. 

“Hey Pads, what was the date of our meeting at St. Mungo’s again?” 

“August 15th. Why’re you worrying? That’s ages away, surely.”

“Sirius, today’s the fourteenth. Our meeting is tomorrow.” Sirius nearly spat the lemonade into Remus’s hair. 

“Why didn’t you say anything before now?” 

“I didn’t realize the date!” 

They both turned to watch Harry playing hopscotch and giggling to himself. 

“I’m not losing him,” Sirius growled. Remus glanced around to make sure they were alone before taking Sirius’s hand. 

“We won’t. I promise. They’ll see how well you’ve been taking care of him and then the Ministry will have to agree to let you adopt him.” 

“You sure?” 

“Positive.” 

Remus dodged a kiss from Sirius, who looked sheepish. In the private little world that was their cottage, Remus never minded that Sirius couldn’t keep his hands off him. Hell, _he_ could barely keep his hands to himself. But out in public… he wasn’t ready for that. Especially in the muggle world. Sirius had always been a rebel, and wizards were generally tolerant, if not accepting, of same-sex relationships, but muggles could be downright nasty and Remus had a strong enough sense of self-preservation for both of them. 

They collected Harry as soon as he could be pried away from the playground. Sirius was in favour of feeding him whatever he wanted, just in case, but Remus was able to talk him into a somewhat healthier dinner since the specialists would likely ask about mealtimes. After dinner Harry had an extra meticulous bath, and they put him to bed early to make sure he was well rested. Unfortunately, this had the unintended side effect of him waking them up extra early the next morning. 

After a hurried breakfast Sirius dressed Harry in his nicest clothes, brand new trousers and a tiny Gryffindor quidditch jumper, and they left for London shortly afterwards. They arrived far too early for their appointment, so they killed time by showing Harry the dinosaur skeletons at one of London’s many museums. They met McGonagall for lunch at a muggle fish ‘n chip shop and then headed to St. Mungo’s for one o’clock. 

“I’m concerned about this scar,” the head specialist, a rather strict-looking wizard wearing very thick glasses, droned. He pointed to the lightning-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead that Sirius and Remus had been unable to heal despite trying every remedy, magic and muggle, they could think of over the past two years. 

“He had that when he came to us,” Sirius protested. 

“I believe it is the curse scar from when V… when you-know-who killed his parents,” Remus added. “We’ve tried everything but it won’t go away.” 

“Hmm,” the healer seemed unconvinced. 

“I saw the boy after the attack but before these men… took custody of him, and the scar was fresh then. I can assure you he did not receive it under their care,” McGonagall interjected. The healer dropped the subject and spent a silent minute scrutinizing Harry for any possible defects.

“Well, aside from the scar I can find nothing wrong with him. He is developing normally for a boy of his age, and it appears that he is getting adequate nutrition, exercise, and mental stimulation. You said he has already showed evidence of magical abilities?” 

“Yes, he changed the colours on a drawing he did a few weeks ago,” Sirius swelled with pride. Remus grinned in spite of himself.

“Interesting.” The healer marked something on his clipboard, which he then handed to one of his juniors who disappeared out the door with it. She returned thirty seconds later leading a grumpy Crouch and the Minister of Magic. 

“Gentlemen,” the Minister smiled, “it appears you have taken wonderful care of our young hero. As such, it has been decided that Mr. Black may adopt Harry. Normally there would be a formal hearing, but under the circumstances it has been waived. All present need only sign this form here-” Crouch produced an official-looking document “-and it will be official. Will you be keeping Harry’s original last name?” 

“Yes,” Sirius said. “We thought about changing it but this way he gets to keep a part of Lily and James.” 

“Excellent.” The Minister scrawled Harry’s name on the appropriate line. “May it be known that henceforth, Sirius Black is the legal guardian to Harry James Potter. If you might sign here? That’s it. Now for the witnesses.” Crouch, McGonagall, and the healer all signed. 

“And you are a kind of informal uncle to the boy, yes?” 

Remus blinked. “Something like that,” he muttered. Sirius flashed him a look of concern but he ignored it. “Where do I sign?” 

Harry was very excited for the next part, which involved him getting to smear his both his hands with ink and press them to the document on either side of his name. He was less excited when Sirius vanished the remains of the ink before he could stain his sweater, but he seemed to grasp the gravity of the moment because he didn’t complain. The Minister waved his wand. The certificate glowed briefly and duplicated itself. He took one and passed the other to Sirius. 

“That’s that, then. Congratulations Mr. Black; you’re a father.” 

They took Harry out for ice cream to celebrate. McGonagall and, to Remus’s surprise, Dumbledore joined them. It was strange for such a large gathering of wizards to be crammed around a table at a muggle ice cream parlour, but none of the other patrons seemed to notice the invasion. Harry was tired out after such a long day, and almost fell asleep in his half-eaten bowl of fudge ripple. He sat snoozing in Sirius’s arms while the adults talked. 

“I understand Minerva has advised you not to take Harry into wizarding spaces?” Dumbledore asked. 

“Yes. She seemed to think it was best.” 

“Good. I want you to continue that policy until Pettigrew is caught. We can’t be too careful.” 

“Understood.”


	12. Twelve

Time passed quickly and in uneven chunks. Remus felt like the fall semester had just begun when suddenly it was Halloween. This year Sirius was able to visit James and Lily in human form, and Remus was there as both a mourner and a shoulder to cry on. There were fewer pilgrims this year, but Sirius made sure there were just as many flowers. They declined to visit the house with the little knot of strangers. 

“At this rate we might be able to take Harry by the time he's seventeen!” Sirius scowled once they were safely back at the cottage. “How many of them even knew the name Potter until they were killed? And yet they get to publicly mourn them while Harry's kept from his parents!” 

“We can take Harry some other time when people are less likely to be there.” Remus said from the couch. 

“It's the principle of the thing.” 

“I know Pads. I'm annoyed too. But there's isn't really anything we can do about it.” 

He drew Sirius into his arms and kissed the top of his head. He felt Sirius relax a bit, though he could tell he was still angry. They sat there for awhile, Sirius brooding and Remus absentmindedly braiding Sirius's hair. It had been just above shoulder length when he'd gone into hiding, and now it nearly reached his waist. Sirius had almost cut it a couple times, but Remus loved his long hair so he let it grow. 

“Has it really already been two years?” Sirius wondered. 

“I know. I miss them so much.” 

“I'm glad we got Harry, though. And that I got you back.” 

“Me too. It could have been much worse.” 

Sirius twisted himself around so that he could kiss Remus, who responded with enthusiasm. Sirius laughed, accidentally breaking the kiss. 

“What's so funny?” 

“I keep thinking that one day it’ll wear off and we’ll start acting like an old married couples who barely touch each other, but I still feel like I'm not quite complete unless I'm with you.” 

“That's because we know how to keep the romance alive,” Remus laughed, picking Sirius up bridal style and carrying him to the bedroom. 

They had a quiet Yule that year because it was the day after the full moon. The monthly transformations took a lot out of Remus, even with Sirius to distract him from the wolf’s violent impulses, and he'd somehow twisted his ankle changing back. He therefore got to sit on the couch with his injured leg elevated and Harry in his lap while Sirius pampered him. 

It was, however, also the first time Sirius got to actually buy presents, so the pile of packages under the tree was bordering on ridiculous. Harry's favourite present by far was a toy broomstick, which Sirius said was the updated model of the one he'd given him for his first birthday. 

Now that Sirius had access to his vault at Gringotts, Remus didn't really need to work. But he kept his job at the cafe (now as a part-time employee) because he knew he would miss it if he quit. Sirius didn't understand--”I'd keep you busy!”--but then again Sirius hadn't grown up working class. 

“Are we ever going to get to meet that girlfriend of yours?” Angela, Remus's boss, a middle aged woman with a motherly disposition, asked one day. Remus nearly choked on his coffee. 

“I don't have a girlfriend,” he protested. 

“Bullshit. You've been working here for four years. I can tell that for the last two years or so that you’ve been in love. Who is she?” 

“I don't know what you're talking about. There is no woman in my life.” 

Angela moved closer to Remus and lowered her voice. “Who is he then?” 

Remus froze. She must've seen the truth in his eyes because she smiled kindly. “Don't worry, my sister is a lesbian. I won't tell and I certainly won't fire you or whatever it is you're thinking.” 

The bell above the door chimed to signal that customers had just arrived. “His name is Sirius,” Remus whispered before hurrying off to serve them. 

He had to admit it was kind of nice to have someone know about him. Remus had only ever been out to the other Marauders and Lily, though he suspected McGonagall, and probably Dumbledore, might have guessed by now. Angela didn't pry much--aside from repeated attempts to get him to bring Sirius round. Finally, he relented. 

“Angela, this is Sirius and Harry.” Sirius sat with Harry at the only occupied booth in the cafe. He was really hamming it up for the occasion in his tightest pants and edgiest leather jacket. And was that eyeliner? Remus was definitely going to tease him about this later.

“Nice to meet you at last,” Angela smiled. “He's been a new man since you came along. How did you two meet?” 

“We went to school together.” 

“Really? And it's taken you two this long?” 

“It’s, uh, complicated,” Remus muttered. He turned to Sirius. “Anything to drink?” 

“I'll have a coffee, and Harry will have-”

“Hot chocolate!” Harry cheered. Angela chuckled. They left the two “customers” to the menus. Remus could tell Angela wanted a word. 

“Why is this the first time I'm hearing that you're raising a child?” she hissed once they were in the safety of the kitchen. 

“Never came up?” 

Through the door Remus heard Harry ask Sirius a question. “Why can't Moony eat with us?” 

“He's working, love,” came the reply. 

“Moony?” Angela raised an eyebrow.

“Inside joke.” 

“How did a man like that end up with a son? I'm not judging, mind. It's just that I can't imagine any woman thinking he was straight long enough to-” 

“Harry's adopted,” Remus interrupted before Angela could make it weird. “His parents made Sirius godfather and then...” 

“Oh. Oh. I am sorry. How long ago?” 

“It was two years at Halloween.” Angela patted his shoulder sympathetically. 

“If it's any consolation, you two seem to be doing a wonderful job raising him. He's adorable.”


	13. Thirteen

Before Remus knew it, he had graduated from university. By a stroke of luck, he was hired at the same primary school Harry would be attending in the fall. All summer they giggled through Harry practicing calling Remus “dad” since they’d decided that registering Harry as Remus's son would cause the least amount of unwanted questions. 

Harry made several friends at school, though Remus could sense a slight separation that Harry maintained between himself and the muggle children. How could he already be emotionally mature enough to recognize that one day he'd have to leave these kids behind forever? He was five for goodness sake. 

While Remus taught Harry muggle history in the classroom--as well as reading, spelling, and maths--he also taught him magical history at the kitchen table at night. He and Sirius didn't want Harry to be at a disadvantage compared to his peers when he got to Hogwarts just because he was confined to the muggle world.

Sirius’s contribution to Harry’s education involved making sure he carried on the family legacy, both biological and adopted, of prankster-in-chief. Of course, none of the jokes could be magical, which saved Remus from many a potential headache, but under his godfather’s expert tutelage Harry quickly became something of a class clown. His exceptional ability for causing mayhem was tempered, however, by either Lily’s genetics or Remus’s part in his upbringing. Unlike Sirius--or, indeed, his father--Harry seemed to have an uncanny knack for knowing when joking was appropriate and when to be serious that kept him out of trouble. 

“Remus,” Harry began one night after he got home from a playdate. He'd realized recently that most of his classmates didn't use pet names for their parents and, though it privately broke their hearts, decided to call both Sirius and Remus by their first names instead of Pads and Moony. He still called Remus “dad” at school, for which Remus was grateful. Administration might not like a bunch of five year olds calling their teacher by his given name. “Do other wizards talk to snakes?” 

Remus shared a worried look with Sirius. “Some can, but not many. Why?” 

“Billy's snake told me I'm the first human he's ever talked to. He's very lonely and doesn't like the frozen mice and-” 

“You talked to Billy's snake?” Sirius asked. “Did Billy hear you?” 

“He thought I was just playing pretend. All he heard was hissing.” 

“I wouldn't recommend talking to snakes around muggles anymore. They might think you're telling lies.” 

“But I'm not telling lies,” Harry frowned. 

“I know, love, but muggles don't understand.” 

“Okay.” 

They wrote to Dumbledore that evening. He wrote back three days later to tell them it was probably a side effect of his run-in with Voldemort but not to worry about it. They worried anyway, privately, but Sirius didn't want Harry to think he was in trouble for using his powers so they encouraged him to practice in the privacy of the cottage. 

For Harry's sixth birthday they got him a pet milk snake, which he named Spot. Harry's favourite game was hide and snake, in which Spot would hide somewhere in the cottage and Harry would have to find him. Remus nearly had a heart attack the first time they played it because he opened the cereal cupboard to find Spot curled around the rice krispies. 

The year at school was a bit harder on all of them. Harry had a new teacher. She was nice, but she certainly wasn't Remus. While the adults worried because this was the first time Harry had ever been out of their sight--excluding the nights when McGonagall babysat--Harry faced the conundrum of learning how to obey a teacher who hadn't raised him. Luckily (on both fronts) Remus's classroom was next door so he was always available if needed. 

Pettigrew was still on the loose after years of the combined efforts of the Order and the aurors. Remus wondered if they would ever catch him, or if he would hang over their little family like a spectre for the rest of their lives. 

“I know it's stupid, but I almost feel like Dumbledore's doing it on purpose to keep Harry away from wizards,” Sirius said when Remus confided in him. 

“I wouldn't go that far. Peter was always good at burying his head in the sand. Maybe he's just biding his time until we've all given up.” 

“Either way, what happens when we catch him?” 

“I imagine he gets tried as a death eater and sent to Azkaban.” 

“No, I mean what happens to us? I've gotten so used to looking over my own shoulder, so used to panicking every time Harry leaves my sight, I'm not sure I'll be able to adjust.” 

“We all adjust in time,” Remus said. He drew Sirius into his arms and held him close. 

The summer Harry turned nine, he asked to visit his parents grave. They still hadn't been able to take him on their yearly pilgrimage, since the group of yearly visitors dwindled but never vanished completely. Harry had grown up with stories about his parents and he wanted to say hello, as it were. 

It would be difficult, but Remus thought they could manage it. They would all have to go in disguise, since it was always possible that Pettigrew might be waiting for Harry there, especially on an important date like his birthday. 

Sirius and Remus had quite a bit of fun transfiguring each other to look like strangers. It turned into a contest of who could make the other look more like a typical middle aged dad, which made Harry giggle hysterically. 

Disguising Harry, however, turned out to be more of a problem. Although they could turn his messy black hair neat and brown--and his green eyes blue--no concealment spell they tried would hide his scar. Eventually, Remus apparated to a chemist's shop and bought foundation as close to Harry's light brown skin tone as possible. As much as Remus loved being a wizard, sometimes a problem required muggle ingenuity. The foundation hid his scar well enough, though Sirius gave him a long fringe too, just in case. 

They met McGonagall, who had expertly transfigured her appearance to look like a typical grandmother, on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Remus only recognized her because they had previously determined what colours each of them were to wear. Not only was it safer to apparate to a quiet location, but Remus and Sirius wanted to give Harry a chance to see the place where he might have grown up. 

“No one at all in the churchyard,” McGonagall reported. 

“Excellent. Shall we?” Sirius led their little group through the village. Harry, who rarely got to visit new places, gazed around him with wide eyes. 

They passed a muggle war memorial. Remus felt the usual pang of sympathy, he’d been through his own war after all, but didn't give it much further thought. 

“Whoa!” Harry cried and the three adults whirled around to face him. He was pointing at the memorial, which was now a larger-than-life statue of a happy couple holding a baby. Remus blinked back a few tears as he realized it was James and Lily holding baby Harry. 

“That's new,” Sirius said. He sounded a bit like he was choking. Remus gave his hand a discreet squeeze. 

“They dedicated it last Halloween,” McGonagall sniffed. So that was why there had been so many people last year. 

“Who is it?” Harry asked. Remus's heart hurt. 

“It's you and your mum and dad,” Sirius said gently. Harry's eyes widened, then he asked to be picked up so he could see better. Remus obliged since even in disguise he was the tallest. 

“They were so happy,” Harry whispered. Remus held him up as long as he could, but at nine Harry was starting to get too heavy to hold for extended periods. 

As soon as Remus set him down Harry was ready to move on. Remus noticed him reach up to hold Sirius's hand, but didn't comment on it since Harry was starting the phase where he didn't want to admit he still needed parental affection. They set off again and reached the cemetery within a few minutes. 

True to McGonagall's word, it was deserted. They stood in an awkward semi circle around James and Lily's headstone with Harry at the centre. Harry read the engraved words under his breath. His young face was solemn but not pained. After what felt, to Remus, like an age, Harry began to speak. 

“Hi mum. Hi dad. It's Harry. I'm sorry I haven't been to visit before now, but Sirius and Remus say it wasn't safe cause there's a bad man after me. I miss you. At least I think I do. I can't really remember you but I've heard a lot of stories and I think I would have liked to know you. It's alright though, cause Sirius and Remus are the best dads I could have and I'm glad you made Sirius my godfather.” Remus felt Harry take his hand. McGonagall sniffed as though she was holding back tears. “Anyway there's two more years before I go to Hogwarts. I can't wait to go there. I hope I make you proud. I know I'm proud of you.” 

Harry lapsed into silence. Tear tracks stained his face. Remus's own eyes were far from dry, and he knew instinctively that Sirius was crying too without having to look over at him. McGonagall conjured a bouquet of lilies and handed them to Harry, who lay them on the grave. They all stood there for a while to collect themselves. 

“I think I'm ready to go home now,” Harry whispered.


	14. Fourteen

Remus felt like he merely blinked and suddenly two more years had passed. McGonagall hand-delivered Harry’s Hogwarts letter at the beginning of the summer. Suddenly, they had a lot of plans to make and very little time in which to make them. Why hadn’t they started planning earlier? It was inevitable that Harry would go off to school, after all. Remus guessed that he and Sirius enjoyed parenting Harry so much that they’d avoided thinking about him leaving one day. 

Obviously Harry would go to Hogwarts, but with Pettigrew _still_ on the loose--Sirius's theory was starting to feel true even if logic said it was bullshit--there would have to be precautions. Hogwarts itself was safe enough, since McGonagall would be there to keep an eye on Harry, but he would have to visit Diagon Alley beforehand since his wand was something he had to purchase in person. 

“McGonagall could take him,” Remus suggested. They sat in a muggle coffee shop, sharing a rare moment of public solitude. “Then at least the fact that we're his mystery guardians would remain a secret.” 

“We’re not missing his first visit to the wizarding world!” Sirius protested. “And McGonagall can't put him on the train so they'd find out anyway.” 

“Pads, I want to show him all that wizards have to offer as much as you do. But realistically, it'd be safer if-”

“You just don't want to be seen with me in public!” 

“What are you talking about? I go out in public with you all the time. We’re in public right now as a matter of fact.” 

“It's different and you know it! If we're seen taking Harry to get his school things then people will know we raised him together. They’ll know we're a couple and it makes you uncomfortable!” 

“Keep your voice down!” Remus hissed. “And you're reading into things!” 

“Reading into things? You barely look at me outside the cottage? You're ashamed! After everything we've been through together, you're ashamed!”

Sirius started to rise from the table, presumably to storm off. Remus reacted instinctively; he grabbed Sirius's wrist and then kissed him, hard. After the initial shock Sirius kissed him back. He could tell people were staring, but for once he didn't much care. He loved Sirius so much he was willing to profess his undying love in front of the entire wizengamot if that's what it took to keep him. 

“Sirius Black, I could never be ashamed of loving you,” he whispered when he broke the kiss. 

A flustered waitress came over to tell them they'd have to leave since a few of the other patrons had complained, but Remus kept his head high as they strolled out the shop hand in hand. 

“All right, you win,” he told Sirius. “We’ll take Harry to Diagon ourselves. But we need to be careful about it.” 

Sirius beamed. “Careful is my middle name.” 

“I'm pretty sure your middle name is Orion, but I love you anyway.” 

They took Harry to Diagon Alley on the last day before term started. Remus had organised a list of everything they'd need by store so that they could get in and out as quickly as possible. Sirius even took the precaution of visiting his vault the day before so that they could skip Gringotts entirely. 

Of course, things didn't go exactly to plan. They ran into Hagrid--who recognized Sirius and Remus immediately--at the Leaky Cauldron. 

“Hullo. Who's this young lad with you?” He boomed. “Blimey is that?” He leaned down to get a better look at Harry's scar. “Harry-” 

“Rubeus, please shut up!” Sirius hissed. 

“What-? Oh sorry. Just got excited! Knew he'd be coming to school this year, see. Anyway got to get to Gringotts, I'm here on urgent business for Dumbledore you know.” 

More people recognized Harry as the day wore on, and not all of them were as easily silenced as Hagrid. Remus and Sirius did their best to shield Harry from view as they bought his school supplies, though his curiosity about literally every shop made this difficult. 

Remus was rather creeped out by the last stop on their list. Mr. Ollivander recognized Harry right away, and was able to list off the wands of James and Lily as well as Remus and Sirius. He also seemed a little too interested in the troubling connection between Harry's wand and Voldemort's. Remus hoped he wouldn't go spreading that information around. 

Against Remus's better judgement, they stopped at Florean Fortescue's. They got their ice cream to go and took it back with them to the cottage. Sirius made Harry wait to try on his school robes until he'd finished his cone of chocolate frog swirl. 

“Why'd I have to get a black tie?” Harry complained. “They had Gryffindor ones right there.” 

“Can't be sure you'll be in Gryffindor,” Remus said. 

“Course he'll be in Gryffindor! He's a Potter raised by the two biggest Gryffindors around!” 

Remus gave Sirius a pointed look. “You never know. And don't worry Harry, we’ll love you no matter where the hat puts you.” 

“Even Slytherin?” 

“Even Slytherin. Although it might take Pads some time to get used to the idea. His whole family were in Slytherin.” 

It was hard to send Harry to bed early that night, since Remus wanted to spend as much time together as a family as possible before Harry would be gone for several months, but the next morning was an early start. Remus and Sirius turned in early as well, but Remus couldn't get to sleep for many hours and he had a feeling Sirius wasn't sleeping well either. 

Harry woke them up the next morning with “breakfast in bed” that he'd prepared himself. It was two bowls of cereal served with orange juice on a tray, but Remus appreciated it as much as if it had been a five course meal. 

After breakfast was the marathon of last minute packing, the pre-school-year lecture about being nice to your teachers and not doing anything dangerous, and the general panic of trying to get out the door on time. Somehow they made it to platform 9 and ¾ at ten til. Sirius and Remus helped Harry load his trunk and Spot’s cage into an empty compartment.

“Promise you’ll write us every day?” Sirius asked as he pulled Harry into a hug that nearly smothered him. 

Harry rolled his eyes and extracted himself. “Not _every_ day. But when interesting things happen I will.” 

“Don’t hesitate to tell McGonagall if you need us,” Remus reminded him. “And don’t get up to too many shenanigans; remember you’re there to learn.” 

Harry nodded and hugged him. 

“But don’t be a wet blanket, either,” Sirius smirked at Remus. All three of them laughed the nervous laughter of those who want to push back the moment of leaving a bit longer. Then the train whistle blew and Harry hopped onto the train. He blew them each a self-conscious kiss from the window as the train started to move. 

Remus stood with Sirius on the platform to wave to Harry. He remembered his own first time on the Hogwarts Express fondly but with a twinge of sadness: it was the day he had met Sirius and James, but it was also the day he had met Peter. Remus waved until the train was out of sight. Then he turned to Sirius. 

“Now what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this story, consider checking out some (or all) of the works that inspired it: The Dogfather by hollimichele, Stealing Harry by copperbadge, and Holding Out by bigblackdog! Thanks for reading!


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